Cc classes and Uni?

[Heather in AL]

When dealing with cc classes, when (and how) does one find out which, if any, classes transfer to a university? Do I need to contact each prospective uni? If so, when.... before applying? After? Who do I need to speak with? Is e-mail OK, or should I phone?

 

How the classes will transfer, or not, may be the 'make or break' for ds' uni choice.

 

Anyone have pearls of wisdom for me? :bigear:

 

Thanks in advance!

[Jane in NC]

Policies concerning transfer credit, dual enrollment credit, AP, and CLEP are usually stated on a school's website. I would search each university's website first; you can always call the admissions office and/or the registrar for clarification.

[Jann in TX]

Our admissions counselor gave us a list of classes that were 'guaranteed' to transfer to any state university. She even had a list of Private universities that also accepted the CC credits.

 

The admissions at the CC may be easier to get a hold of that the admissions of a university student has not yet been accepted to....

 

I was able to just walk in and ask.

[Dana]

You can find it better on the university's site than on the cc site here. Do a search for "articulation agreement".

 

In our state there's a list of courses that transfer to public 4 year schools.

[Barbara H]

Hi Heather,

If like your screenname suggests, you are in Alabama you can take a look at the STARs system. http://stars.troy.edu/stars/what_stars.htm If this doesn't work advisers at the community college should be able to help you.

[Heather in AL]

I'm just replying to each suggestion in one post for cohesion.

 

Policies concerning transfer credit, dual enrollment credit, AP, and CLEP are usually stated on a school's website. I would search each university's website first; you can always call the admissions office and/or the registrar for clarification.

In looking at the top four on ds' list, AP/CLEP/IB are mentioned but not transfer or DE credit. :-( At least, there are no specifics mentioned.

 

Our admissions counselor gave us a list of classes that were 'guaranteed' to transfer to any state university. She even had a list of Private universities that also accepted the CC credits.

 

The admissions at the CC may be easier to get a hold of that the admissions of a university student has not yet been accepted to....

 

I was able to just walk in and ask.

I may just have to go down and ask. Alabama does have a program (see Barbara's quote below), but I've heard it doesn't guarantee that class X will actually transfer for class X at the uni... it will 'count', but maybe just for an elective. I have heard this is especially true for math & science classes.

 

You can find it better on the university's site than on the cc site here. Do a search for "articulation agreement".

 

In our state there's a list of courses that transfer to public 4 year schools.

I went to a large state school's site and did just that. I got a bajillion hits and none of the ones I checked were helpful. :glare:

 

Thanks for the tip on the terminology, though... I do plan to use it for the other schools on our list, even though those are less likely candidates.

 

Hi Heather,

If like your screenname suggests, you are in Alabama you can take a look at the STARs system. http://stars.troy.edu/stars/what_stars.htm If this doesn't work advisers at the community college should be able to help you.

 

Barbara, yes, I'm in Alabama, and ds does have the STARS program thingy. That thing is so confusing, though! It wanted a major, but ds didn't know what his major would be, so I printed several. It turns out ds may change completely, so his classes may not transfer under STARS. PLUS, one school mentioned it was their discretion as to 'count' classes 'one for one' (see my response to Jann above). Are you more familiar with the STARS program? The admissions person at the cc was less than helpful.

 

Thanks ladies for the help. I will try to contact people at both the cc and ds' first choice unis and see about the transfer thing.

 

Do any of you know *when* during the application/admissions process we find out what, if anything, transfers (or does that fall under the ever-hated "check with your uni")? :tongue_smilie::lol:

[Brenda in MA]

Thanks ladies for the help. I will try to contact people at both the cc and ds' first choice unis and see about the transfer thing.

 

Do any of you know *when* during the application/admissions process we find out what, if anything, transfers (or does that fall under the ever-hated "check with your uni")? :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

Heather,

 

I agree with the others. I know with my son transferring CC credits to a private university, we were able to make an educated guess of what would transfer ahead of time by looking at the policy at the uni, but he didn't know for sure that the courses actually transferred until he accepted that uni and filled out their paperwork for transfer. We found that the decision on whether to accept the transfer rested with the department at the uni that offered a similar class. Three of his four classes transferred with no questions asked. With his chemistry course, a prof in the chem dept at the uni sent my son an email and asked for the syllabus for the course so he could evaluate it. Fortunately, my son had saved that syllabus from the cc course, and he scanned it and sent it in, and the course was eventually approved.

 

If your son is interested in transferring to a state school, the process might be more regimented, and perhaps there is already a list of approved courses at your cc that will transfer and what they will be credited as at the uni. I would definitely check with someone at the uni if you can't find specifics on the uni's website.

 

Brenda

[Riverland]

In our state, an individual cc class is hit or miss as to whether or not it will transfer to a 4 year public school. However, if you get a full AA degree from a cc, the 4 year public university must accept it. But I'm sure each state is different.

[Heather in AL]

Heather,

 

I agree with the others. I know with my son transferring CC credits to a private university, we were able to make an educated guess of what would transfer ahead of time by looking at the policy at the uni, but he didn't know for sure that the courses actually transferred until he accepted that uni and filled out their paperwork for transfer. We found that the decision on whether to accept the transfer rested with the department at the uni that offered a similar class. Three of his four classes transferred with no questions asked. With his chemistry course, a prof in the chem dept at the uni sent my son an email and asked for the syllabus for the course so he could evaluate it. Fortunately, my son had saved that syllabus from the cc course, and he scanned it and sent it in, and the course was eventually approved.

 

If your son is interested in transferring to a state school, the process might be more regimented, and perhaps there is already a list of approved courses at your cc that will transfer and what they will be credited as at the uni. I would definitely check with someone at the uni if you can't find specifics on the uni's website.

 

Brenda

 

Brenda, the part I bolded helps.... I was wondering at what point in the whole process would we find out what does & doesn't transfer. I have only a small idea what the admissions/application process entails.

 

In our state, an individual cc class is hit or miss as to whether or not it will transfer to a 4 year public school. However, if you get a full AA degree from a cc, the 4 year public university must accept it. But I'm sure each state is different.

 

This would be great if one could count on everything transferring. There is one major at the cc ds would be interested in, but the likelihood of obtaining said degree is close to nil due to the fact that a pre-req class of a 100 level hasn't been offered in the two years ds has attended. :001_huh: That one class is needed before any of the 'core major' classes can be taken. :confused:We gave up on the idea of an AA sometime last year.

 

Something that will help is to have the course description with you when you ask (from the college catalog). For several of ours, the college also asked to see the syllabus--it helps them to see the texts' titles. Something Hillsdale did for dd was to go through her planned classes for senior year (she was accepted before the end of her junior year) and pick out things that WOULD transfer. It allowed her to graduate in 4 years, with a minor, with Honors, in the Honors Program.

 

Thanks Margaret. I have a downloaded copy of the catalog (which has the course descriptions) and I have saved all his labs, classwork, tests, syllabi, and not only do I have the TOC and ISBNs from his texts, but I have photocopies of them, as well. I read here on the boards some time ago to keep all that, so I did! :D

[Miss Marple]

Our state schools have a transfer pdf on each of their websites. It lists all the state schools and which offers transfers. So far the only problem we have had was with calculus. The engineering schools at the 4 year university do not want CC calculus. They use the same text but move through it more slowly and thoroughly than the CC.